[redskull]

Just noticed on the Bell TV wikipedia entry something about free HD for life if you agree to a 2 year contract.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bell_TV

Anyone know if this is true? Could explain why the retention offers have dried up.

Bell Satellite will be rolling out a nationwide promotion and television advertising campaign this month (July 2010) with "HD free for life". The satellite TV provider is offering to waive its HD programming add-on fee for customers who agree to a two-year commitment. Customers will also have to enroll into Bell's paperless billing. The "HD free for life" offer is to offer its clients fair access to channels that should not have been charged for in the first place. The decision was forced by Canadian consumers rights advocates due to the threat of a class action lawsuit

 

[DT1]

Looking at the persons edit history and talk page who added that to wikipedia I wouldn't count on that being accurate. If the channels were supposed to be free to begin with why then would you be required to sign up to a two-year commitment?

 

[Panache70]

This is the current Dish Network promotion, but have not heard about Bell doing it.

Basically, on Dishnet, whatever package you buy you get the available HD equivalent channels for free.

 

[Pinza]

But as has just been experienced on Dish, just because to get a Channel today, does NOT mean you will get it for Life.... Disney just pulled the HD Feeds for a few Channels from Dish, after a dispute over payments I believe. So if you opted for Dish HD For Life, based on those Channels being available, you are suddenly out of luck.

 

[Panache70]

Correct Pinza.

Disney and ABC family in HD have been pulled over a dispute for carriage fees.

Also, Dish has started a "Premium" HD package which costs 10$ and includes quite a few Movie channels like EPIX, HDNetMovies and MGM Movies.

My guess is that you will probably have HD for life, but only the ones that are currently in your package. Any new HD channels will most likely be going to Premium HD packs.

The free HD for life requires a 24 month commitment or 99$ fee.

I can't imagine BellTV doing this, as the logistics would be brutal especially with the Quebec A LA CARTE platform.

I would love to see them drop the TSN requirement to pay twice for the SD and HD versions of this channel in order to get TSN HD.

 

[Roman Centurion]

Can't trust everything you read on wikipedia. There is no such promotion for Bell TV. Dish Network advertises Free HD for life, but you probably pay more for the standard anyway.

 

[1500cc]

And don't forget, as us "legacy package" subs are finding out, a promise from Bell to offer a something for life ain't worth a hill of beans.

 

[Ex Agent EV]

Has anybody called Bell to know their answr on this?

 

[Roman Centurion]

ExAgent, this has already been answered in the previous comments by Panache70 and myself.

If you don't believe us, feel free to do your own research and call Bell.

 

[brown]

In Québec at least, Bell is offering free HD recorders (don't know the details).

 

[Pinza]

This is or was a very common practice for customers threatening to quit Bell and head for another provider.